Europe

Global News September 2023

Latest industry developments from around the world!

Turkey to Resume Operations of Iraq Oil Pipeline This Week

Turkey will restart operations this week on a crude oil pipeline from Iraq that has been suspended for about six months, Turkey's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Monday.

Oil Pipeline Rupture in Western Ukraine Injures Nine, Triggers Fire

An oil pipeline ruptured in western Ukraine on Saturday, injuring nine people, including four children, and triggering a large fire, the regional governor said.

Turkey's BOTAS to Supply 2 Million Cubic Meters of Gas to Moldova Starting in October

Turkey's state gas grid operator BOTAS said on Thursday it had signed a deal to supply Moldova with 2 million cubic meters of natural gas per day from October, in the second such agreement announced by the operator in as many days.

CEPS Secures Deal for Net4Gas; Adds 2,485 Miles of Gas Pipelines to Portfolio

The Czech government approved a plan for state-controlled electricity transmission grid operator CEPS to acquire natural gas transmission system operator Net4Gas, which operates nearly 4,000 km (2,485 miles) of pipelines shipping gas to and from Germany and Slovakia and for domestic consumption.

Norway's Equinor Signs 5-Year Gas Supply Deal with Austria's OMV

Norwegian energy group Equinor has signed a five-year agreement to supply gas to Austria's OMV as part of the latter's supply diversification strategy, the companies said on Wednesday.

Italy in Talks with Bavaria for Gas and Hydrogen Exports

Italy is in preliminary talks with Bavaria's government to supply gas and hydrogen to the southern German state, and also aims to sell energy to Austria and Hungary, four Italian and German industry and political sources told Reuters.

UK and Germany Sign Hydrogen Energy Collaboration Agreement

Britain said it would work closely with Germany to underpin the international trade in hydrogen under a new partnership, which the government hopes will support its net zero targets and bolster energy security.

Sources: Sinopec Buys Over 30 LNG Cargoes for Winter Demand, Trading

China's Sinopec Corp has bought more than 30 cargoes of LNG via a tender for October 2023 to the end of 2024 to cover Chinese winter demand and boost the supply pool for trading, traders said.

Explosion at Gas Pipeline Near Construction Site in Romania Kills Four

An explosion killed four people and injured five more at a gas pipeline on a motorway construction site in the eastern Romanian county of Vrancea early on Thursday, a government emergency response unit said.

Germany Expands LNG Regasification Capacity with New Terminals

A new LNG terminal at Mukran on Ruegen Island in the German Baltic Sea should be operational from the first quarter of 2024, Gascade, the pipeline firm building its onshore connection, said.

Latest Pipeline Security Initiatives Inside, Outside of NATO

(P&GJ) — Following the attack on the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline a year ago, NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg discussed the protection of critical infrastructure with NATO’s members. He made a special point of reaching out to German leaders and to Denmark’s defense minister, since this is the country closest to the damage.

P&GJ’s Europe 500 Report of Top Pipelines

(P&GJ) — Following is a listing of some of the longest transportation routes on the continent of Europe as of July 2023. This third such report will be broken down into two sections, gas and liquids (oil and products), which will be updated in each of our September issues going forward.

Germany's SEFE Studying Hydrogen Production, WIGA Stake Hike

Nationalized German gas importer and trader SEFE on Tuesday said it was interested in clean hydrogen production under its remit to help spearhead the green energy transition.

DNO Makes Norway Gas Condensate Discovery

Norwegian oil company DNO said on Tuesday it had discovered gas condensate at its Norma prospect in the North Sea and that it would continue to drill for more resources nearby.

Greenpeace Blocks Arrival of New LNG Unit at French Port

A new LNG floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) arrived in western France on Monday morning, a TotalEnergies' spokesperson said, as activist group Greenpeace tried to prevent it from entering port.

Irish Planning Body Rejects Major LNG Terminal, Cites Climate Plan

Ireland's top planning body has refused permission for a major new LNG terminal, citing the government's greenhouse gas reduction targets, a possibly fatal blow to a project supporters say is essential to the country's energy security.

Turkish Minister: Iraq-Turkey Oil Pipeline Ready to Resume Operations Soon

Iraq's northern oil export route through Turkey will soon be ready to resume operation after checks on pipeline maintenance and repairs to flood damage, the Turkish energy minister said.

ConocoPhillips Signs 15-Year LNG Deal at Gate Terminal in Netherlands

ConocoPhillips has signed a 15-year LNG throughput deal in the Netherlands, starting in 2031, to secure additional regasification capacity in Europe.

BP Commits to Germany with $11 Billion Low-Carbon Investment Push

BP plans to invest up to $10.7 billion in low-carbon fuels, renewables and EV charging in Germany by the end of the decade to rival local power firms, as competition over the energy transition of Europe's largest economy intensifies.

EU to Launch First Phase of World-First CO2 Border Tax

The European Union starts the initial phase of its plan for the world's first carbon border tax next month, requiring importers to report the CO2 emissions of products sold into Europe, such as steel and cement, or risk financial penalties.

North Africa Will Be Italy's Key Gas Supplier for Years, Eni Top Exec Says

Algeria, Egypt and Libya will be Italy's main gas suppliers for the next few years, Eni's head of natural resources told Reuters, adding that the energy group would invest heavily in Africa both in exploration and in new low-carbon projects.

EU Has No Immediate Plans to Ban Russian LNG, Says Spain's Ribera

The European Union has no short-term plan to ban Russian LNG despite soaring imports to the bloc, Spain's energy minister said, citing fears of another price spike.

Vitol CEO: Bunker Fuel Market to Convert to LNG in Next 10 Years

The global bunker fuel market is expected to convert substantially to LNG over the next 10 years, said Russell Hardy, chief executive of the world's largest independent oil trader, Vitol.

EU Proposes Permanent Scheme for Joint Gas Purchases

The European Commission has proposed making the EU's scheme for joint gas purchases permanent, after demand exceeded expectations in the policy's first tenders to seek non-Russian fuel, a document showed, and officials told Reuters.

Black & Veatch Expects Floating LNG Capacity to More Than Quadruple by 2030

U.S.-based engineering and construction group Black & Veatch (B&V) said on Monday it expects global floating LNG capacity to increase more than four-fold to 46.4 million metric tons per annum (MTPA) by 2030, as they have become competitive with fixed terminals for smaller fields.

Israel, Cyprus and Greece Mull Energy Pacts to Tap Regional Gas

The leaders of Israel, Greece and Cyprus pledged to deepen their energy cooperation on Monday and explore ways to get East Mediterranean gas to Europe, as well as connect electricity grids.

US Backs Chevron's Subsea Pipeline Plan for Aphrodite Gas Field Amid Cyprus Dispute

Washington has weighed into a dispute between Cyprus and international companies led by Chevron over how to develop a giant offshore gas field, backing the U.S. company's plan to link it to neighboring Egypt, two industry sources and a U.S. source said on Friday.

Eni, Snam Set Ambitions for Italy's First Carbon Storage Project

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is key to ensuring the survival and the competitiveness in Italy of industries including steel, cement and chemicals, energy group Eni and gas grid operator Snam said on Friday.

Global News August 2023

Latest industry developments from around the world!